Haggin Oaks PGA Professional Earns Spot in Barracuda Championship
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (May 5, 2017) – The Northern California Section of the PGA is pleased to announce that Tom Morton, PGA Director of Instruction at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex (Sacramento, Calif.), claimed title to the 2017 NCPGA Match Play Championship this week. Morton won 3 & 1 in the final round, defeating David Solomon, PGA Assistant Professional at Ruby Hill Golf Club (Pleasanton, Calif.) and earning a berth into the 2017 Barracuda Championship. The three-day tournament was played at Yolo Fliers Club in Woodland, Calif. (Rounds 1 & 2), Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif. (Rounds 3 & 4), and at Cypress Point Club (Semifinals) and Pebble Beach Golf Links (Finals) in Pebble Beach, Calif.
Morton’s win came unexpected, having played four rounds all year and transitioning to new Ping clubs shortly before the event. “I hadn’t held a club in a while,” said Morton, citing the recent Haggin Oaks Golf Expo as his primary focus over the past few weeks. “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to play in a Tour event; one that I’d thought had passed me by. To have this happen is beyond my imagination.”
The NCPGA Match Play Championship has been contested in Northern California since 1922, and is one of the oldest running championships in the region. The tournament is one of two “double point” events where players earn extra points towards becoming the NCPGA Player of the Year. Prominent victors include Bruce Summerhays, John and Dick Lotz, Rick Rhoads, and Jim Langley. This event is made possible through the sponsorship of presenting partners PGA TOUR and OMEGA, and supporting partner Sterling Cut Glass. For more information or to view results from rounds 1 through 4, please visit the official website of the NCPGA at www.ncpgalinks.com.
Final Round Matches– Pebble Beach Golf Links: Pebble Beach, CA (Par 72)
Tom Morton, Haggin Oaks Golf Complex, defeated David Solomon, Ruby Hill Golf Club, 3 & 1
Semifinal Round Matches – Cypress Point Club: Pebble Beach, CA (Par 72)
David Solomon, Ruby Hill Golf Club, defeated Rick Leibovich, Salinas, Calif., 2 & 1
Tom Morton, Haggin Oaks Golf Complex, defeated Joe Dolby, Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club, 1 up
About the Northern California Section of the PGA of America (NCPGA)
Organized in 1920 to promote interest in the game of golf, the birth of this association was heralded as an important step to the advancement of the game in this district. The Northern California Section is one of the forty-one designated Sections of the PGA of America, the world’s largest working sports organization. With over 1,100 dedicated PGA Professionals and apprentices at over 500 golf facilities in Northern California and Northwestern Nevada, the association continues to have a positive impact on the game of golf and communities both regionally and nationally. For more information, please visit www.ncpgalinks.com or call us at (707) 449-4742.
About Barracuda Championship
The 19th annual Barracuda Championship, an official PGA TOUR event, takes place July 31-August 6, 2017 at Montrêux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev. The tournament is one of just 46 full-field stops during the PGA TOUR Season and is part of the FedEx Cup series, a points competition for PGA TOUR professionals. The internationally televised event brings in millions of dollars in coverage for the Reno-Tahoe region through its affiliation with Golf Channel as it follows 132 PGA TOUR professionals competing for a share of the tournament’s $3.3 million purse. Montrêux Golf & Country Club has been the host site since the tournament’s inception in 1999. The Barracuda Championship is managed and operated by the Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, comprised of key sponsors including title sponsor Barracuda Networks, Eldorado Hotel Reno, AT&T and NV Energy.
